All Signs Point to Digital Printing
1. Specialized Titles, Short Runs Dominate
Blockbuster hits like the Harry Potter series might cause the casual observer to think that book run lengths are on the rise. But runaway bestsellers are only half the story in book publishing. The other half is the growing short-run and ultra short-run market that actually accounts for most book sales.
What we are experiencing is more specialized titles, higher retail prices per book and fewer total units sold. As evidence of the explosive growth in titles and new editions published annually, R.R. Bowker statistics show an increase from 68,175 titles in 1996 to a staggering 291,920 in 2006, a whopping 428 percent increase.
“These output numbers are valuable indicators when assessing the overall direction of the industry,” commented Michael Healy, executive director of the Book Industry Study Group (BISG). “When you couple Bowker’s data with the recent release of the AAP Annual Report and BISG TRENDS 2007, we are able to form a more complete picture of the state of our industry – and it’s encouraging to see all the indicators showing some growth.”
2. Driving a New Publishing Model
Supporting these market forces is the evolution of digital printing technologies, which address critical factors ranging from economical short-run production to the demand for rapid replenishment and returns reductions. Toner-based digital printing systems take electronic files directly to the press without the need for plates and fill a number of important needs:
- Preview and sample books
- Adoption copies for elhi publishers
- Self-published books by consumers and professionals
- Classroom-specific textbooks
- Initial short runs to determine a book’s demand
- Late stage runs that extend a book’s life and revenue value
- Limited circulation books
- Updates for rapidly changing technical books and manuals
- Out of print titles
3. Transcontinental Printing Responds
Transcontinental relentlessly seeks innovative ways to help book publishers take their products to market with greater time and cost efficiencies. Advanced digital printing solutions play an increasingly important role in our offerings to the book marketplace.
“Although we currently offer a hybrid solution of digital and offset production to our book customers,” said Martin Cournoyer, general manager of Transcontinental Metrolitho, “I can foresee the day when our solutions might be 100 percent digital. Metrolitho’s 2008 expansion will include additional high-speed digital printing equipment designed to reduce cycle time and costs for short-run book production.”
At Transcontinental Printing, we also recognize that technologies are only part of the equation. Our goal is to play a true partnership role, helping customers consider critical factors that will determine their book production and fulfillment strategies. We can help in a wide range of areas including:
- Demand forecasting
- Content archiving
- Market testing
- Rapid replenishment
- Online ordering and inventory management
- Complete lifecycle management
- Web-to-print scenarios
- Total cost determination
Contact your representative to get more information on digital printing or click here to have one of our representative to contact you.
Download our latest white paper highlighting digital printing’s growing role in the book publishing industry.
